Tiffany Mountain by Old Baldy + Freezeout Ridge via Winthrop / 蒂芬妮山

  • Reading time:11 mins read

Tiffany Mountain by Old Baldy is the highest point in East-Central Okanogan Range. It enjoys vast isolation from its nearest taller neighbor, 18 miles away. Moreover, Freezeout Trail via Freezeout Ridge offers a scenic and leisurely hike.

Breakfast at Tiffany Mountain
Breakfast at Tiffany Mountain

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Tiffany Mountain at a Glance

Freezeout Slam = Tiffany Mountain + Middle Tiffany Mountain + Rock Mountain 7971
凍結滿貫=蒂芬妮山+中蒂芬妮山+石山7971

Access: Freezeout Ridge Trailhead
Round Trip: 14.6 miles
Elevation Range: 6560′-8245′
Gear: helmet
GPS Track: available

The Preface

The drive to Summer Blossom Trailhead last week was rough. So this week, we wanted relaxation, at least the driving part. Then I looked to Gilbert Peak in Goat Rocks Wilderness.

The initial plan was to make the famous climb a day trip. Then we’d drive out to visit Tiffany Mountain the day after. But we needed to change plans at the last minute.

This way to Tiffany Mountain
This way to Tiffany Mountain

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South Fork Tieton Road Closure

I unexpectedly drove up to a gate by the NF-750 and South Fork Tieton Road late at night. Then I looked at the map and saw that it’d be a seven-mile walk to the Conrad Meadows Trailhead. So no, thank you.

Without a backup plan, I decided to visit Tiffany Mountain on Saturday. Later we drove six hours north to Winthrop. During that, I slept by the highway for a while. Then at 5 AM, we started moving again.

En route to Whistler Pass
En route to Whistler Pass

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Freezeout Ridge Trailhead

At last, we drove through Winthrop at 8 AM to NF-37. The service road was bumpy below the pass but still doable in a compact car. Then we reached Freezeout Ridge Trailhead in under an hour.

Soon, we made our way up the trail toward Whistler Pass. Then we went south on the North Summit Trail to Clark Peak at the first trail fork. Since it was close by, I decided to include the peak on the agenda at the last minute.

Seeing Clark Peak
Seeing Clark Peak

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Clark Peak Summit Views

The actual summit wasn’t visible until we were up on the east ridge. Later a notch on the ridgeline had us bypass it from the south. Then a short scramble got us up on too.

The summit was a vantage point to see our other three goals sitting side by side. Just off west of Eightmile Creek was smoky. The haze had come from the Diamond Creek Fire that started one month ago.

Freezeout Slam high points
Freezeout Slam high points

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Back to Whistler Pass by Tiffany Mountain

Back on Whistler Pass, we hiked north on North Summit Trail to Honeymoon Pass. The map showed the 7300′ fork with Tiffany Lake Trail 200′ higher. So we ended up scrambling down to the basin.

Soon, we joined the Tiffany Lake Trail through the old burn in North Fork Salmon Creek Basin. It’s been incredibly arid throughout. So the tiny stream gave us our first water since we left the car.

Rock Mountaoin summit ahead
Rock Mountain summit ahead

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Rock Mountain 7919 Summit Views

From Honeymoon Pass, we hiked north straight up to Rock Mountain 7919, where a radio facility marked the top. I had a decent look at the massive wildfire smoke spanning the western horizon from here.

It had grown pretty windy by now, so we left after a quick break. Then Middle Tiffany Mountain, our next stop, was right across the 7500′ joining saddle. It didn’t take much time before we went up to the top.

Tiffany Mountain from Rock Mountain
Tiffany Mountain from Rock Mountain

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Middle Tiffany Mountain Summit Views

This summit had similar views as Rock Mountain, so the yellow pup and I didn’t stay long here. I would’ve liked to spend more time in the area. But we still needed to get to our final goal, Tiffany Mountain, before sundown.

The gurgling croak of Ravens echoed through the basins as we reached back at Honeymoon Pass. I had thought of climbing via the northwest saddle, but I wasn’t sure if it was doable for the pup. Besides, we needed more water from the basin.

Rock Mountain 7919 from Middle Tiffany Mountain
Rock Mountain 7919 from Middle Tiffany Mountain

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En Route to Tiffany Mountain

Soon, we made our way back to North Fork Salmon Creek Basin. Then we retraced our steps back up to Whistler Pass via the actual North Summit Trail fork.

We went up the southeast ridge on a faint path and reached the top shortly after. Lots of boulders and sand piles had scattered the summit. Tiffany Mountain also boasted a broad top with views abound.

Panoramic view of Rock Mountain 7919 and Middle Tiffany Mountain
Panoramic view of Rock Mountain 7919 and Middle Tiffany Mountain

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Sunset Views Plus Outro

We stayed a long while on top to watch the sunset. The evening light had glistened Rock Mountain and Middle Tiffany Mountain across the basin. So we enjoyed the extensive and beautiful views around us.

Hard to believe that the equinox was only under one month away! I was beginning to miss those nine o’clock sunsets.

Leaving Tiffany Mountain
Leaving Tiffany Mountain

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